Mutton Quorma
Sameer Kochhar believes that food is about culture, conversations and memories. He draws from his own life journey to write on nostalgia food. He is an acclaimed author and has published 18 books on socio-economic issues.
This recipe is featured in An Eid Story
Mutton Quorma is a delectable stew.
Mutton Korma or quorma is a dish originating in the Indian subcontinent, consisting of meat braised with yogurt or cream, water or stock, and spices to produce a thick sauce or gravy.
For an Indian vegetarian celebration sweet recipe, see Paneer Jalebis.
Ingredients
- 400 grams (14 ounces wt) plain Greek yogurt
- 75 grams (2.6 ounces wt) ginger-garlic paste
- 25 grams (.8 ounce wt) green chili paste
- 1000 grams (2.4 pounds) boneless mutton, cut into cubes
- Cooking oil, as needed for deep frying the onions
- 400 grams (14 ounces wt) sliced onions
- 355 ml (1½ cups) ghee
- 2 bay leaves
- 5-6 cloves
- 5-6 green cardamom pods
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) red chili powder
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) Degi mirch/Kashmiri chili powder
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) garam masala
- 10-15 ml (2-3 teaspoons) salt, to taste
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) ground coriander
- 5-6 green chilies, trimmed and sliced
- 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) black cardamom powder
- 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
- About 15 ml (1 tablespoon) fresh ginger, julienned – for garnishing
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) kewra water or rosewater
Preparation
Marinate
- In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, and chili paste. Add the mutton and marinate for 30 minutes.
Onions
2. Heat oil in a sauté pan and fry onions until golden brown.
Remove onion from oil, let cool and dry spread on a paper or a pan.
Blend them into a paste in a food processor.
Sauté
3. Heat the ghee in a large sauté pan.
Add bay leaf, cloves and green cardamom and sauté till they release their fragrance.
Cool the ghee a bit.
Mutton
4. Add marinated mutton.
Sauté it for 7-8 minutes on medium heat.
Add red chili powder, degi mirch, coriander powder, garam masala and salt.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, add a bit of hot water as needed.
Cook uncovered on medium flame till the ghee separates and you see a rich red color.
Onion Paste
5. Add the browned onion paste.
Add 473 ml ( 2 cups) of hot water, cover, and cook until meat tender (about 165°C/74°F). Additional water may be added if required.
Simmer and Serve
6. Sprinkle the sliced green chilies, green cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and kewra water.
Simmer Mutton Quorma for 5 minutes and serve with naan or roti.
Sameer Kochhar
Sameer Kochhar believes that food is about culture, conversations and memories. He draws from his own life journey to write on nostalgia food. He believes that this is a way to preserve his heritage. He practices humanistic management and runs a group of companies with interests in consulting, media and a not-for-profit foundation. He is an acclaimed author and has published 18 books on socio-economic issues.
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